Yogyakarta – More than three thousand students from various universities in Yogyakarta were packed in Grha Sabha Pramana on Thursday (6/12). The second floor and GSP stands were full of enthusiastic students who will follow Public Lecture and Talkshow ‘Nasionalisme di Era Digital’ which held by the Ministry of Communication and Information Republic of Indonesia. The queue was already packed from 12.00 WIB
During the opening speech, Rector of UGM Prof. Ir. Panut Mulyono, M.Eng., D.Eng. explained that the meaning of nationalism in the past was about heroic stories which put the people’s objection first before person’s. “Then what about its meaning in this digital era nowadays?” he asked the audience.
‘‘More than 50 percent or 143 million of people, especially youth generation are connected with the internet. Hence, this youth nationalism in technology should exist. For example, how any kind of innovation could make a huge impact towards the economy, make life sharing matters easier, and lift up the nation technology sovereignty. The innovation that has been done by our youth are incredible. Their efforts are also to think about social aspect”
Move forward to th next public lecture by The Minister Expert Staff of Mass Communication of Ministry of Communication and Information Republic of Indonesia, Mr. Gun-Gun Siswandi.
Along with the Rector’s statement, Mr. Gun-Gun Siswandi agreed that 54 percent or 143,26 million of Indonesian people already have access to the internet. In this digital era, people are willing to pay for internet data or install Wi-Fi connection to gain information, even todays; information is included in our primary needs. “If our primary needs was consisted of three things which are sandang (clothes), pangan (foods), and papan (place to live) in the past years, then right now, it becomes four, sandang, pangan, papan, and information. It can be seen from the increasing number of internet user in Indonesia, 11 millions of people per year”
Gun-Gun Siswandi also conveyed that the young internet users which may vary from 13 to 34 years old and 87 percent of them are accessing social media. This implies that Indonesian youngster is already into the digital era, even close to cyber world on their daily basis. For example, the use of e-money to access the highway, online shopping, and Computerized National Examination (UNBK).
‘‘In this digital era today, we must able to control the technology, not the other way around” he delivered message to the audience during his closing statement that ended with souvenir handover by Rector of UGM, Prof. Ir. Panut Mulyono, M.Eng., D.Eng. (Alumni Relations UGM/Irzha; Photo: Buyung)